My Woodland Garden

A few years ago, if you go back that far in this blog, you'll see I pulled out a significant section of ivy and a few rhododendrons to make a patio with a "cutting garden". After all the work and planting, I found out when the trees grew in, it was truly a woodland garden. It gets barely any sun and when sitting on the patio you really do feel like you are in a woodland retreat. The cutting garden is on the back burner until further notice.

Since realizing that nothing grows in that area that isn't a "shade" plant, I have been combing the catalogues for shade flowers. I want my gardens like my life, colorful. I've come across several varieties of plants that I have fallen in love with that also bloom. One of those plants being Columbines. The two toned flower with unique shape is just captivating! Columbines make me smile everytime I look at them. I am on the hunt for some more in different colors!

This year in my woodland garden, I've decided to add some ferns. I love the ferns unique folliage and am excited that it is a perennial. The man at the garden center with the adorable chocolate lab suggested a particular fern that grows to 6 feet high. I put that in the back corner of the woodland garden for a spectacular show! I also purchased two other types of ferns, one of which I am a bit nervous. I had my kids with me and so between me yelling at them to stop climbing under and over the tables of plants, I failed to read the labels. One fern that I bought "spreads". I hope this one doesn't become another ivy.

There have also been a few plants that have come back year after year. I don't know what they are called, but they're cool and I'll take them! My hope is to make this a perennial garden where I have to do just a little work in it. You know, let Mother Nature take credit for the gorgeousness. AHHHH! Just what I like, a lot of beauty for a little work!